I found this book to be a decent read with a nice dash of humor. The plot is not complicated, and the adventure is mild—good for a light read with a dab of actual adventure near the end. There is plenty of basic dragon lore involved, and the author has clearly taken great care with those details. I especially liked the use of the Dragon Mark and the magical relationship between dragon and rider. Characters are mostly well-crafted and likable, consistent, but not complex.

What I liked:

- The dragons- The humor- Some of the technical details about dragon physiology- The variety in the characters

What I didn’t like:

- The heavy-handed dialogue full of info dumps- Too many chapters ending with Delno going to sleep, or beginning with Delno waking- The specific and violent abuse—twice—of male private parts (particularly in a book written for teens)

The main character is a perfect hero throughout. That doesn’t bother me, but I’d have liked seeing him—as well as his companions—struggle against some overwhelming odds. Maybe in the next book in the series? It makes for an easy journey, an easy end, and an easy read.